In the Eye of the Beholder
by StrangeBlueEyes
Summary: Macy Tanner is the newest member of the Atlantis expedition, and she is getting along fine with her new friends. But the City of the Ancients holds many surprises.
1. Chapter 1: Arrival

**In the Eye of the Beholder**

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Atlantis. Macy Tanner is my character, but all the other characters belong to the people at Stargate. I'm merely a fan.

_Author's note:_ This takes place sometime after Aiden Ford first leaves Atlantis. It is a story in itself, so it's as if I'm ignoring just about all of Season 2.

**Chapter 1**

"**Arrival"**

_Wow._

_That was my first thought when I arrived in Atlantis. It's such a huge city. And so different from anything I'd seen on earth. Stargate Command hadn't been weird at first glance. It was like any other underground military bunker. I wasn't too impressed until General O'Neill showed me the Stargate itself; but here in Atlantis? It got me at first glance._

"Tanner!"

I nearly jumped. "Yes, sir," I stood erect.

"Your commanding officer awaits you in the briefing room."

I was confused. "Yes, sir. But, sir-"

"Yes?"

"I'm here as a civilian, sir."

"You still need to report to the higher powers. Now."

"Yes, sir." I tried to keep up with Colonel Caldwell while still taking in as much as I could.

"You can retrieve your things from the ship as soon as you're assigned a room, Tanner."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir," I answered as we reached the briefing room. I watched in awe as the doors swung open to reveal a round table at which several people were already seated.

"Colonel Caldwell," the brunette lady stood to greet us.

"Doctor Weir," he nodded. "I brought the girl General O'Neill found. Allow me to introduce Macy Tanner." He turned to me, "Tanner, this is Doctor Elizabeth Weir, head of the Atlantis expedition."

I nodded to the woman who returned the gesture. She turned to her right. "This is Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard, our head military officer."

I snapped to attention and saluted him. Then I cringed, realizing what I'd done. I had come as a civilian, but that short while in boot camp would stay with me longer than I thought.

Colonel Sheppard looked confused at my reaction, but Doctor Weir continued with the introductions. "This is Doctor Rodney McKay," she indicated the man with the bored expression on his face, "one of our head scientists." He suddenly didn't seem quite as bored. "And this is Teyla Emmagan," Doctor Weir pointed to the quiet woman seated beside Colonel Sheppard. "She is the leader of the Athosians, some of the natives we found on another planet right after we arrived in the Pegasus galaxy. Now, most of them live on this planet, but on the mainland."

Teyla bowed her head to me.

"So," Doctor Weir sat down again, "now that you know a little something about each of us, why don't you have a seat and tell us a little about yourself."

I shrugged as I sat down in the nearest chair, between Teyla and Colonel Caldwell, and asked, "What do you want to know?"

"How 'bout filling me in on this whole deal with General O'Neill?" Colonel Sheppard suggested.

"Um, okay... to be honest, I'm still a little confused about that myself. He found me in boot camp, but I'll back up a little bit. I was in boot camp because I'd run away. I'm an only child, but my parents never really wanted kids. I guess they thought that if they threw enough at me, I'd take care of myself. But they wouldn't pay for school. I didn't have enough money coming in to pay rent for my own place- which I wanted desperately- and save for school.

"I finally got fed up with it and ran away. I stayed with friends for a little while, but just a week before my nineteenth birthday, I joined the United States Air Force. I wanted to travel, and I figured that was one way. I went to boot camp.

"One day, while we were stretching to run some laps, our drill sergeant introduces us to Brigadier General Jack O'Neill. Sarge said the general was there to observe us. Long story short, he saw something in me he liked. He asked me if I liked to travel and if I was willing to take risks. I said yes to both, and here I am. He also said that since I hadn't even made it all the way through boot camp, I could choose whether I came as military or civilian. I chose civilian." I put my hand in my pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. "I, uh, have a few messages from Stargate Command too. Colonel Sheppard, sir, General O'Neill says, 'Congrats on the upgrade.' To Doctor Weir he says, 'Congrats on surviving this long with him.' And, to Doctor McKay, Colonel Carter sends a hi."

"Macy," Teyla spoke for the first time, "how old are you?"

"I'll be twenty in a few weeks," I answered.

"Well, then," Doctor Weir smiled, "that will make you the youngest Atlantean from earth. I suppose you'd like to rest. John, you can take Macy to Lieutenant Ford's old room."

"Excuse me?" he balked. "That's one we need to talk about. Now."

She raised her eyebrow questioningly. "Fine. Teyla, will you help Macy settle in?"

"Certainly, Doctor Weir."

Everyone rose to leave except Doctor Weir and Colonel Sheppard. As the doors closed behind me, I heard him start in on her, "You can't give her Ford's room!"

* * *

"So, Teyla," I said as we lugged and toted all my stuff from the Daedalus, "who is this Lieutenant Ford?" 

"Aiden is a good friend of Colonel Sheppard's. He was, uh, is also the second-in-command here in Atlantis. He has been... missing for some time now. We have only seen him once since he ran away. It was the same planet on which we found Ronon."

The running away part caught my attention, but so did this Ronon. "Uh, Ronon?"

"Yes, he is a runner. Well, he was until Doctor Beckett removed the Wraith tracking device from him."

"Oh, yeah. I remember hearing about the Wraith when I watched that video Doctor Jackson had put together from the message y'all sent through the gate."

"Ah, I remember that message. I, of course, did not send a message as I am from this galaxy, but I do recall Aiden being in charge of that project. Come," she motioned me inside a room, "this is where you will stay. It was Lieutenant Ford's room, but, as I said, we have not seen him for many days. We keep his things in here; if they are in your way, though, you may move them."

I looked around the room. There was a bed and a night stand with a lamp on it and a bookshelf on the wall. "I don't think I'll need to change anything. I like how he has things."

"Very well, then," Teyla said. I could tell she was remembering Lieutenant Ford. "Now you must go to see Doctor Beckett. Follow me."

We walked down the hall, rounded a corner and stopped in front of a strange elevator-looking thing. The doors slid closed behind us as we stepped in. A panel opened to reveal a blueprint of the city with glowing dots in certain places. Teyla explained that the blinking dot was our current position. To go somewhere else, we need only touch the dot on the screen closest to our destination. She pointed out the designated medical corridor and told me to press the closest dot. I pressed it, and the doors seemed to slide open almost immediately. We were in the medical corridor.

"That was so... fast!"

Teyla smiled at my shocked expression. "The city of the ancestors holds many secrets. Come."

I followed her to one of the rooms where a man in a white lab coat greeted us. "Teyla, good afternoon! And who is this lovely lass?"

"Good afternoon, Doctor. This is Macy Tanner. Macy, this is Doctor Carson Beckett."

He smiled and shook my hand. "A lovely name to match a lovely face. You must have been with the group that just arrived from Earth."

I nodded and couldn't keep myself from smiling. "Yes, I am. I probably would've come sooner, but Doctor Weir wanted to meet me immediately, and then Teyla helped me move all my things into my room."

"Oh, it's quite alright, dear. I'm sure you met a few of our top people...?" he patted the table.

"Yes," I hopped up on the table, "I met Doctor Weir, Colonel Sheppard, and Doctor McKay. The head of the expedition and the ranking military officer and the head scientist."

Doctor Beckett chuckled, "And did Rodney tell you he was the best at everything?"

"No. Is he, Doctor Beckett?"

"Well, he likes to think he is. And, please, call me Carson."

"Sure. Teyla, can we get some food after this?"

"Of course, Macy."

"Well, you seem like a very healthy young lady. Off you go now!" Carson shooed us out the door. We nearly plowed into one of the biggest guys I'd ever seen.

"Oh, Ronon! Excuse us," Teyla exclaimed.

"Sorry," the hulking figure mumbled.

"Oh, Macy, meet Ronon Dex. Ronon, this is Macy Tanner. She just arrived today."

He sized me up in a single glance and nodded to me. I returned the gesture. Ronon followed us to the dining hall. There we met up with Colonel Sheppard who smiled and greeted us.

"Ronon, Teyla, and Macy. I can call you that, right?" he asked me.

I nodded.

"Good, and you can call me John. Now, with that out of the way, we will get our food, and then you can tell us some _interesting_ stuff about yourself." I raised my eyebrows. "You know, what kind of stuff do you like; what are your hobbies, that kind of stuff. Like me. I like ferris wheels, football, and scary movies. Isn't that right, Teyla?"

"Indeed," she chuckled.

I grinned. "Well, I like roller coasters, skateboarding, and good comedies."

"Good! Now, Teyla, how about you?"

"Well... I like sunrises, stout tea, and the sound of the ocean."

We looked at Ronon. He returned our gazes. "I like big guns, fast fights, and dead Wraith," he claimed after a beat.

"Yes, and I like smart people who actually talk about worthwhile subjects," Doctor McKay said as he plunked his tray down next to mine.

"Rodney, nice of you to join us. We were just getting to know one of our newest additions. If General O'Neill sent her, she's worth getting to know, don't you think?"

"Yes, I suppose so. Now, what exactly are you here for anyway? You're too young to be trained in anything we scientists are doing."

"Well, Doctor McKay, I-"

"Rodney. Just call me Rodney, and I'll call you, uh..."

"Macy," John offered.

"Right, Macy. Now, why are you here?"

Exasperatedly, I answered, "Well, Rodney, quite frankly, I'm here to take over the Pegasus galaxy because you petty humans are incapable of doing so."

Ronon stopped chewing, and Teyla's eyes got big. Rodney blinked. "You- you're joking, right?"

John nearly choked as he laughed at Rodney. "Of course she's pulling your leg!"

I grinned.

* * *

"So, you're across the hall from me, you know," John glanced at me, "and down the hall from Teyla and around the corner from Ronon." 

We were returning from my personal guided tour of Atlantis. If my first impression of the city hadn't been awesome, the second one certainly was!

"What about Rodney and Doctor Weir? And Carson?"

"What about them?"

"Where are their rooms?"

"Oh, well, Carson's room is close to the medical corridor for emergencies, of course. Elizabeth- uh, Doctor Weir's room is closer to the gate room because she likes to be close to her work. And Rodney? He picked a room where he'd be close to both means of escape- the Stargate and the Puddle Jumpers."

We both laughed. I had already learned a good bit about the people I had met just through talking to John. "Rodney sounds like he can be a wuss at times..."

"Yeah," John nodded, "he _can_ be girly. No offense."

"Oh, it's okay. I don't mind being a girl. In fact, I kinda like the idea of a guy taking care of me." I let my mind drift back to the summer before my high school junior year. I'd had a classic summer romance. While I didn't feel secure and cared for at home, I did with that boy.

I shifted back to the present. "What about this Lieutenant Ford? What was he like? What happened to make him run away?"

John sighed. "Ford?" he smiled, recalling the young man. "Actually, you remind me of him in a lot of ways. He was a kid in every sense of the word... his twenty-sixth birthday just passed a few weeks ago."

He then launched into the story of the Wraith attack on Atlantis in which Lieutenant Aiden Ford was changed forever.


	2. Chapter 2: Shadow

**In the Eye of the Beholder**

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Atlantis. Macy Tanner is my character, but all the other characters belong to the people at Stargate. I'm merely a fan.

_Author's note:_ This takes place sometime after Aiden Ford first leaves Atlantis. It is a story in itself, so it's as if I'm ignoring just about all of Season 2.

**Chapter 2**

"**Shadow"**

_I was always thinking about him. He was with me everywhere. I guess I thought about him because we had some things in common. Or maybe it was because I stayed in his room. Whatever the reason, I though about him so much, I began to imagine that I saw him._

_At least, I thought it was my imagination._

"Macy?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Doctor Weir." I'd been daydreaming. Again.

She smiled. "It's alright. And please, just call me Elizabeth."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I imagine you miss your family."

"No, Doctor Weir- uh, Elizabeth. I ran away, remember? And I don't really have that many friends."

"Well, I'm sure you'll find both friends and family here in Atlantis."

"I hope so."

* * *

"Hey, newbie! Over here!"

I glanced around and saw John waving me over to the table at which he, Ronon, and Teyla were seated. I smiled and made my way across the room to them.

"So, what?" I questioned, "Are we, like, an unofficial posse or something? I mean, we always end of eating together."

"Yeah," John grinned, "we're the posse of the coolest people in Atlantis!"

I laughed. "But what about Carson? He's cool too."

"Oh, he can be an honorary member."

"Okay, I'll be sure to tell him when we're done here. I'm helping him with some patient records this afternoon."

"Cool."

"Macy," Teyla asked, "I still do not fully understand what it is you do."

"Well, I'm basically the top staff's assistant. I help whoever need me the most at the time. Like, this morning I was playing secretary for Elizabeth because she had several meetings today. But, after I'm done eating, I'll go help Carson. John has asked me to proof his team's mission reports from now on, and Rodney will probably need me to get his coffee again later." I shook my head and laughed.

"A gofer," Ronon said simply.

"Well, yeah," I shrugged, "but assistant sounds better."

"Gofer?" Teyla looked confused.

"Yeah," John chuckled, "Go-for this, go-for that. Basically, if we need something small done, Macy will do it for us."

I nodded. "Yeah, Teyla. And if you or Ronon need something, just ask. I'll do my best." I thought Teyla might ask me to do something for her sometime, but I seriously doubted Ronon ever would. He seemed pretty self-sufficient.

We continued to eat in silence until John heard a crackle in his ear piece. Elizabeth needed to see him, Teyla, Ronon, Rodney, and one of the other civilians. We quickly finished and parted ways.

* * *

Carson was busy with someone when I arrived, so I pulled up a chair and sat down. I wondered if I'd have enough time for a cat nap before he was done. I smiled because I knew better than to think that was possible. Short power naps were never my _forte_. Instead, I let my mind wander.

_I could see his face in my mind. He looked sharp in his dress uniform. John had told me about how he had managed to get a wallet size picture of Lieutenant Ford from Ford's cousin. She had readily given one to John; "So you won't forget him or his family," she had said. John knew he couldn't._

_John had told me that he looked different now. The Wraith enzymes in his bloodstream had both changed his face and made him stronger._

_Rodney called him_ Super Ford. _I just called him_ Aiden.

I blinked and realized Carson was finished.

"Well, Macy," he said, "we've got a bit to do. Several wounded returned on one of the latest missions, and it's time for annual physicals. So, all the files are piling up." He gestured to the stack of files.

"So, we just need to file them correctly?"

"Aye."

"Sounds easy enough, I guess. Where are your other files?"

"Over here. And it's just alphabetical by last name, of course. I've got more folks to see to, so you can go ahead and start."

"Sure, I can do that." I picked up the first file and checked the name. Mercer, Amanda. Easy enough. I continued placing the files in their appropriate places until I came to a familiar name. Sheppard, John. I grinned and decided to take a peek. Basic stats, physical results, and psych results. Nothing out of the ordinary. I put his file in place; then I had an idea.

Farmer. Feldt. Fifield. Ford, Aiden.

I pulled it. Maybe this could tell me a little bit more about what happened. I glanced around, then opened the file. His vital stats were on top. I flipped to the last set of papers in the file. There was a paper detailing what they knew about his encounter with the Wraith. I turned the page and gasped. There were pictures.

* * *

I ate dinner in almost complete silence. I could tell John and Teyla were concerned, but I couldn't think about anything other than those pictures.

I finished eating and went for a walk. After wandering aimlessly for a little bit, I realized I was in the part of the city in which Aiden's Wraith incident had occurred. I found Aiden Balcony. John had told me how they had unofficially named it after him.

The doors slid open, and I stepped outside. I felt the sea breeze and smelled the salty air. I sat down beside the wall and pulled my knees up. I pictured in my mind what had happened that fateful day.

* * *

"Macy. Wake up." John gently shook me.

"What?" I rubbed my eyes. It was dark, but I realized I was still out on the balcony. I stood up. "How'd you know where I was?"

"Part life signs detector, part intuition."

I raised my eyebrows.

"Teyla's, that is." He jabbed his thumb in her direction, and we chuckled. "C'mon. we'll walk you back to your room."

We walked in silence, each absorbed in our own thoughts.

"Hey," I asked as we reached our rooms, "what was the deal with that meeting that Elizabeth called earlier?"

Teyla looked at John. "Several people have claimed they saw... a shadow these past few nights. Today, someone said he had seen the shadow's face."

"Really? Who was it?"

John and Teyla looked at each other. He sighed.

"He said it was Ford."


	3. Chapter 3: Secret

**In the Eye of the Beholder**

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Atlantis. Macy Tanner is my character, but all the other characters belong to the people at Stargate. I'm merely a fan.

_Author's note:_ This takes place sometime after Aiden Ford first leaves Atlantis. It is a story in itself, so it's as if I'm ignoring just about all of Season 2.

**Chapter 3**

"**Secret"**

_I could feel the presence of someone else in the room. I looked around, but it was almost completely dark. _

_Then I saw a shadow move. It came towards me. I heard breathing._

I sat up.

I had dozed off after John and Teyla had left. I had thought that maybe I could see this shadow people were talking about. Maybe it _was_ Aiden. Maybe he had come home. Or maybe it was his ghost haunting his old room. Or maybe I had just been thinking about him too much.

I got up to close the window and sighed. Then I heard and echoing sigh. Startled, I whirled around. I held my breath and cocked my head to listen. Nothing.

"Is someone there?" I asked a little nervously. "John, is that you?" No answer. "Okay, you've scared me; you can go to bed now... John?"

"You're in my room."

I jumped. It wasn't John's voice. I could tell by the voice that it was a young man. A tired young man.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"I told you," the voice answered, "this is my room."

City of the ancestors indeed! This was starting to weird me out. Maybe this was one of those ascended ancients Doctor Jackson had told me about. Maybe that's why I couldn't see the person. But, wait, aren't they, like, glowing sources of energy or something? As in, there should be lots of light...

"Show me your face," I commanded.

"No!" The shadow jumped back in alarm.

"Why?"

"Because... I might, um, scare you."

I remembered a movie I'd once seen. It was about a man who was born with a disfigured face. He had been in a freak show as a child, but he ran away and lived in the basement of the opera house. I didn't remember much, but he had a mask that so exactly fit the disfigured side of his face, he could simply set it in place, and it would stay. That had always amazed me.

I knew then who the shadow was.

"You won't scare me... Aiden."

He was so startled, he stepped into the light. Neither of us flinched.

"How do you know who I am?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I know a lot about you, actually. Including what you look like. Now and before."

He took a step toward me, and I shrank back.

"See, you are scared of me," he accused.

I straightened up. "Quite frankly, I"m scared because there's a guy whom I have never before met in my room at some ungodly hour of the night."

"Oh! Well, then. I'm Lieutenant Aiden Ford," he stuck out his hand.

I grasped his hand, and tingles ran up and down my spine. "Macy Tanner," I whispered.

"Now that that's out of the way, you wanna tell me why you're in my room using my stuff?"

"Oh," I blushed, "Elizabeth put me in here. See, I just came to Atlantis because General O'Neill found me, and I got here and, of course, needed a room, so Elizabeth told John to put me in here, but John wasn't happy, so he talked to Elizabeth while Teyla helped me bring my stuff in here from the Daedalus, and she said that they left your stuff in here even though they hadn't seen you in so long, and she told me I could move you stuff, but I liked how you had it, so I didn't, and I'm just using some of your stuff anyways, and no one said I couldn't, so what's the problem anyway?"

He blinked at me. "How old are you?"

"Almost twenty."

"Right... let's back up. General O'Neill found you?"

I nodded.

"Where?"

"Boot camp."

"Major–uh, Colonel Sheppard didn't want you here? Why?"

"Um, actually, I don't know. I guess because he's still hoping you'll return."

"So, the Daedalus makes regular runs now?" he continued, ignoring the last bit of my comment.

"Yeah, we can go home through the Stargate because of the new ZPM, but we have to fly back in the ship because the SGC doesn't have enough power to send us back here."

"Oh... so, how do you know so much about me?"

"John, Teyla, Carson, even Rodney has told me different things about you. And your med file."

"My file! How'd you get that?"

"I was helping Carson earlier today, actually. The only new thing I learned really was what you actually look like now."

He sighed, "Not pretty, is it?"

I cocked my head to one side. "It's not _that_ bad. In fact, it's hardly noticeable when you smile."

He looked up. "How do you know?"

I shrugged and pointed to the mirror. "See for yourself."

He forced a smile at the mirror. "My eye itself still looks different."

"Well, yeah, but who cares? From what I understand, the only truly bad thing to come out of this whole ordeal is your temper going wack. And that can be overcome with self-control."

He shrugged. "Whatever."

"So, has that been you people have been seeing the past several nights?"

"Yeah, I've been coming here every night for the past week..."

"So, it wasn't my imagination. By here, do you mean Atlantis or this room?"

"Yes."

"Why'd you keep coming here if you didn't want anyone to know you were here?"

"Because there's a pretty girl sleeping my room now."

* * *

Aiden and I stayed up talking for several hours. I told him about what was going on there in Atlantis and some of what had been happening on earth when I'd left. He told me about his adventures with John's team and about how he'd taken the Puddle Jumper and run away. We told each other about our families. We talked about school and why we'd each joined the Air Force. 

Finally, he had to leave.

"Why don't you stay, Aiden? Everyone wants you back," I smiled. "Even Rodney."

He grinned and shook his head ruefully, "I can't. I can't stand it when people are constantly staring at my face, or they're always watching and waiting for me to blow up."

"I"m staring at you."

"Yeah, but it's different when you stare at me. I can see it in your eyes..."

I smiled. "And your temper? Like I said, that takes self-control. As for the staring?" I shrugged. "People were always staring at me for my first few days here because I would always eat with John, Teyla, and Ronon. They probably though I was a suck-up... I just ignored them."

"I still can't come back. And you can't tell anyone I was here."

"Why not?"

"Because then they'll try to catch me and bring me back and take me off the enzymes. And they're the best thing that's ever happened to me!" He was breathing heavily.

I reached out and put my hand on his arm. "It's okay. I won't tell if it's that important to you."

H calmed down immediately. "Thanks. I gotta get going before it gets light. I'll come back tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure. I guess I'll see you then." I opened my door. He looked both ways then darted down the hall. He stopped at the corner, looked back, and gave me his boyish smile.

My heart skipped a beat as I returned the smile.

Then he was gone.

* * *

Thankfully, I had the next day off, so I slept in. I got up so late, I just skipped breakfast. I ate an early lunch and returned to my room before any of the the "posse" saw me. 

I didn't want to talk to anyone. I was afraid they'd ask me something about Aiden, and I'd accidentally tell.

And I couldn't tell.

I had promised.

* * *

"Hey, guys." 

John turned in his seat, "Macy, long time no see. Where've you been?"

"Oh, around. I've mostly been doing stuff for Elizabeth and a little for Carson."

"Well, I've got a mission coming up soon, so I'll need you to proof everyone's reports."

I nodded.

Ronon stared at me. I felt as if he could see right through me. Like he knew what I'd been up to.

But he said nothing.

"Macy," Teyla said, "would you like to practice sparring with me today?"

"Uh... sure." I figured I could talk to Teyla, but if things got uncomfortable, I could focus on my sticks.

"Well, then, what time shall we meet?"

"Um, I've gotta finish some stuff for Carson, so how about 1600 hours?"

"That is fine."

"Cool." I rose with my tray. "I'll see you then."

* * *

"So, Teyla, can I ask you a question?" I ducked, avoiding her sticks. 

"Of course, Macy." She swung again as she twirled around me. "What is it?"

"Well," I said, trying to fight offensively, "what if you have a friend, and you two share a secret. It's an awesome secret that some of your other friends should really know, but your friend makes you promise no to tell anyone. What should you do?"

"Can this secret hurt anyone?"

"No."

"Did you promise to keep your friend's secret?"

I nodded.

"Then you should stay true to your word." She swung, and her sticks smacked mine. Next thing I knew, I was pinned to the floor.

"Your friend... It is Aiden. Is it not?"

I looked up at her uncomfortably.

"Do not worry," she assured me as she helped me to my feet. "Your secret is safe with me."

I grinned ruefully. "Thanks, Teyla. Someday, I'll actually pin _you_!"

"We shall see," she replied with an arched eyebrow. "And Macy?"

I turned.

"Tell him we really do want him back."

I nodded. "I will, Teyla. I will."


	4. Chapter 4: Return

**In the Eye of the Beholder**

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Atlantis. Macy Tanner is my character, but all the other characters belong to the people at Stargate. I'm merely a fan.

_Author's note:_ This takes place sometime after Aiden Ford first leaves Atlantis. It is a story in itself, so it's as if I'm ignoring just about all of Season 2.

**Chapter 4**

"**Return"**

_Am I becoming obsessed?_

_I always think about him. I always want to talk about him. Now, I do it even more._

_I wish he'd come back. He's the only one I can open up to completely. I wish he'd come back to stay._

_Then I wondered... maybe it wasn't obsession. Maybe it was something stronger._

I sighed as I rolled over in bed. An echoing sigh answered me.

"Aiden!" I clicked on the light as I sat up. He stood at the foot of my bed blinking in the light.

"Ow," he winced. "i don't remember the light ever being _that_ bright."

"Sorry." I switched the dimmer to a lower setting. "I haven't seen you for several nights. You been busy?"

"Yeah, I was on a hot trail! There was this one wraith who–" He stopped. "Oh, never mind. It wasn't that big of a deal. I missed you."

I grinned. "I missed you too. I want you to know you're putting me through torture! I always want to talk about you, but I can't, unless... Oh, why don't you stay, Aiden?"

"You should have seen the night sky on this planet I was on yesterday. There were no lights or fires for miles, so the stars were crystal clear. It was like you could reach out and touch them. I wish you had been there."

"If you're trying to convince _me_ to leave Atlantis, the answer is no. I've run away once already. I'm not doing it again. Especially not, now that I've found a family that truly cares for me."

He balked. "_I_ care for you! That's why I'm _not_ asking you to come with me. It's too dangerous. I wouldn't want you to get hurt."

I looked at him and smiled inwardly as he continued.

"You don't know what it's like to be constantly on the run, wondering where you'll sleep that night or what you'll eat. Here in Atlantis, you're not the only one concerned about your safety. Everyone is concerned about everyone's safety; out there," he gestured out the window, "you have to fend for yourself. There's no one else lookin' out for ya... It's a cruel universe." He shook his head bitterly.

"Oh, Aiden..." I patted the bed next to me. "Come here."

He sat on the bed next to me. "I don't know what it's like to constantly be on the run, but I do know what it's like to leave behind all things familiar. I've run away from home, and, for gosh sake, I'm here in Atlantis! If that's not unfamiliar, I don't know what is. And—" I'd been rambling, but Aiden's warm, gentle kiss stopped me in my tracks. I felt him slip his arm around me, and I melted. It was then I knew.

He'd come back to stay.


End file.
